Damper for registers or the like



Aug. 19, 1958 R. L. LEIGH I 2,847,929`

DAMPER FOR REGISTERS OR THE LIKE l Filed Dec. 6. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f ll-UlIl 'In fl lll IWIHIIII 2/ IIIIIIIIIIHII'L Illll Il 'IHIIINIII mll llulllll lINVENTORM Aug. 19, 1 958 R. LEIGH Y 2,847,929

DAMPER OR REGISTERS 0R THE LIKE Filed Dec. ,6, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fw, if? W /ffffff l `/4 y ga 25,5%., Z0 v/7 7 IN V EN TOR.

MQ raarste' Patented Aug. is, 195s DAMPER FOR REGISTERS OR THE LIKE Robert L. Leigh, Coopersvlle, Mich., assignor to Air Control Products, Inc., Coopersville, Mich.

Application December 6, 1955, Serial No. 551,318

2 Claims. (Cl. 98-110) This invention relates to improvements in registers, dampers and the like or valves adapted for use with grilles of various types.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide va damper or valve structure for registers and the like in which the blades or louvers are 'arranged in pairs for opposed opening and closing movement.

Second, to provide a damper or valve structure in which the blades are all uniformly opened and closed thereby affording a uniform control of the air.

Third, to provide a damper structure in which there is a minimum of impedance to the air when the valves are fully Opened and uniform discharge provided throughout from end to end of the damper and such uniformity is maintained throughout the full range of adjustment.

Fourth, to provide a damper which, when the blades are in fully closed position, prevents passage of air between the blades or louvers.

Fifth, to provide a damper or valve structure having these advantages which is relatively shallow permitting installation in a wide variety of ducts and in association with a wide variety of grilles.

Sixth, to provide a damper or valve structure having these advantages which is simple and economical to produce and easy to operate and install.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a register embodying my invention, a portion of the grille being broken away, the blades being shown in fully closed position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View in section on a line corresponding to line 2-2 of Fig. l illustrating the damper structure in installed relation to a duct.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View showing the blades in Completely open position and illustrating details of the operating means.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary View mainly in section on a line corresponding to line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the blades in closed position and illustrating certain details of the operating connections for the blades or louvers.

Fig. -6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating structure and the hinged relation of a pair of blades.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section on a line corresponding to line 7-7 of Fig. 5 showing furtherdetails of the hinge connection for a pair of the blades.

In the accompanying drawing I illustrate my valve or damper structure as embodied in a register structure comprising a frame 1 in which the grille parts 2 are mounted, the frame 1 has an outwardly projecting llange 3 overlapping the wall 4 in which the register is mounted. 5 represents a duct.

The damper unit of my invention comprises `a rectangular frame designated generally by the numeral 6 which is secured as by spot welds 7 to the register frame 1. The damper frame 6 comprises a pair of laterally spaced lside members 8 which, in the embodiment illustrated, are made up of two members, the inner member 9 being a ilat strip, while the outer member 10 is provided with an inwardly offset longitudinal rib or corrugation 11, the two members being fixedly secured together as by spot welds 12. The vside members 8 are connected by end members 13 to provide a-unitary frame.

The damper unit also comprises a plurality of pairs of blades 14 and 15 which `are hingedly connected to each other at one edge, the forward edge in the embodiment illustrated. The outer edges of the blades 15 are beaded or conformed to provide a cylindrical pivot member 16 while the blades 14 are curvedly conformed to provide a knuckle member 17 which pivotally embraces the pivot member 16 of the blades 15, see the details illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. The pairs of blades are spaced so that the swinging edges of adjacent pairs engage when the damper is fully closed, as is illustrated in Figs. l, 2 and 3. To insure an eifective closure the blades 1d are provided with angled flanges 18 on their `swinging edges while the blades 15 are provided with flanges 19 on their swinging edges. The flanges 19 have a fitting engagement within the flange 13 when the blades are fully closed, as illustrated in Fig. 2. When the pairs of blades are fully opened they offer little impedance of the ow of air past the same. The angled edges on the swinging l blades also serve to minimize turbulence when the blades are fully opened. The pivots 16 of one pair of blades are preferably provided with reinforcing journals 20.

Corresponding blades of the pairs are operatively connected for simultaneous operation. in the embodiment illustrated this connection comprises the coupling bars 21 which are arranged on the inner sides of the side members of the frame and within the planes of the faces of the frame offsets 11, as is best shown in Fig. 4.

The blades 14 of the pairs are, in the embodiment illustrated, provided with ears 22 pivotally connected to one coupling bar while the blades 15 of the pairs are provided with similar ears 23 pivotally connected to the other coupling, the pivots being indicated at 24.

Means for adjusting the blades or louvers in the embodiment illustrated lcomprise the adjusting screw 25 which is rotatably mounted on the bracket 26 secured to one of the side frame members, see Figs. 3 and 4. This screw is disposed between an adjacent pair of blades, preferably the central pair, and is provided with an adjusting member or nut 27 having oppositely projecting arms 28 longitudinally slotted at 29. The adjacent blades `of the pairs are provided with ears 30 having pins or studs 31 engaging the slots 29. With the parts thus arranged the screw may be reversely rotated to open and close the blades. As stated, corresponding blades of the pairs are connected to the coupling bars so that the blades are operated in unison and opened and closed to the same extent or degree.

There is a minimum of friction to this opening and closing movement and therefore little eiort is requiredv to operate. key.

The fact that the pairs of blades have a common pivot center makes it possible to provide a relatively shallow damper structure having relatively wide blades.

So far as applicant is aware all previous structures having blades in which adjacent blades swing toward and from each other in opening and closing have relatively Wide blades and blades which are centrally pivoted. The

The adjusting screw is slotted to receive a 3 advantage of the shallowness of the unit is that they may be installed in vertical stacks of relatively little depth, quite commonly only 31/4" deep. The applicants damper does not seriously choke such ducts.

The frame in which the blades are mounted may be relatively narrow and therefore do not objectionally choke the duct. Also, in applicants structure the openings between the blades are uniform from full opening which gives a highly desirable control of the air discharged through the damper and, as stated, the size of the opening is increased or diminished in a uniform manner. A further advantage is that the parts are economically produced and economically assembled and the damper is easy to operate and at the same time the blades are locked in their adjusted position.

I have illustrated and described my invention in one practical embodiment thereof. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe other embodiments or adaptations which I contemplate as it is believed this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A register frame and damper Comprising spaced parallel frame members having opposed longitudinally extending offsets projecting inwardly of the frame, said projections defining alined pairs of pintle openings, pairs of damper blades movably mounted in said frame, one blade of each pair having its forward edge bent into a rounded pivot member and extended beyond the ends 'of the blade as a pintle and received in a pair of said openings, first ears projecting beyond one end of one blade of said pairs of blades and turned laterally therefrom, the other blade of each pair of blades having a knuckle member on its forward edge rotatably engaged with the pivot member of its paired blade, second ears projecting beyond the opposite ends of said other blades from said first ears and turned laterally therefrom, where by said rst and second ears are disposed behind said offsets in said frame members, coupling bars pivotally connected to the corresponding ears of said blades behind said offsets, laterally turned and opposed flanges on the rear edge of each blade of said pairs of blades which abut when the blades are opened in the frame to hold the rear edges further apart than the front edges, further rearwardly turned flanges on the edge of one laterally turned flange on each pair of blades which rearwardly turned flanges overlap the flange on the adjacent blade when the blades are closed in said frame, opposed ears on the ends of the adjacent blades of two of said pairs of blades, an adjusting screw rotatably mounted on one of said frame members in front of said blades, and an adjusting member threaded on said screw and having laterally extending arms with slots therein receiving pins connected to said last ears to adjust all said blades.

2. A register frame and damper comprising spaced parallel frame members having opposed longitudinally extending offsets projecting inwardly of the frame, said projections defining alined pairs of pintle openings, pairs of damper blades movably mounted in said frame, one blade of each pair having a rounded pivot member extended beyond the ends of the blade and received in a pair of said openings, first ears projecting beyond one end of one blade of said pairs of blades and turned laterally therefrom, the other blade of each pair of blades having a knuckle member on its forward edge rotatably engaged with the pivot member of its paired blade, second ears projecting beyond the opposite ends of said other blades from said first ears and turned laterally therefrom, whereby said rst and second ears are disposed behind said offsets in said frame members, coupling bars pivotally connected to the corresponding ears of said blades behind said offsets, laterally turned and opposed flanges on the rear edge of each blade of said pairs of blades which abut when the blades are opened in the frame to hold the rear edges further apart than the front edges, further rearwardly turned flanges on the edge of one laterally turned flange on each pair of blades which rearwardly turned flanges overlap the flange on the adjacent blade when the blades are closed in said frame, opposed ears on the ends of the adjacent blades of two of said pairs of blades, an adjusting screw rotatably mounted on one of said frame members in front of said blades, and an adjusting member threaded on said screw and having laterally'extending arms with slots therein receiving pins connected to said last ears to adjust all said blades.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 345,689 Hayes July 20, 1886 668,400 ABelding et al. Feb. 19, 1901 1,659,880 Kauffman Feb. 21, 1928 1,872,599 Le Grand Aug. 16, 1932 1,931,263 McKnight Oct. 17, 1933 2,400,044 Hermanson May 7, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 30,158 Germany Ian. 9, 1885 

